How do you select a good external coach?

Category: Coaching Notes

Here are some of the areas that the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development recommends that clients should consider when selecting coaches:

• Appropriate level of coaching experience: The coach should be questioned about how many hours of coaching they have delivered, how many coaching assignments they have delivered, what kinds of issues they have coached individuals for, and at what level of seniority they usually work.


• Relevant business/industry experience: Most people would agree that coaches do need strong understanding of organisational dynamics and the business world to be effective. While the coach should have a sound knowledge of business, their real contribution is their ability to help individuals learn and develop. Relevant experience can be useful in establishing the ‘face validity’ of the coach.
  One of the main benefits of using external coaches is their neutrality and objectivity. They can uncover limiting beliefs, values and assumptions that may be obstructing the strategic objectives of the individual and the organisation.


• References: A good coach should always be able to supply references.


• Background of the coach: Coaches come from a variety of different professional backgrounds. Examples include human resources, occupational psychology, training and development, sports psychology and management development. Naturally, these different backgrounds will mean that the coaches will bring some very different experiences and skills to the coaching relationship. The key is to find a good fit with your organisation and the needs and purpose of the coaching intervention.


• Supervision: Benefits that supervision can deliver:
  
  
  
  
  
  • It offers protection to clients
  
  
  • It offers coaches the opportunity to reflect on their work
  
  
  • It offers coaches the opportunity to identify their own personal strengths and weaknesses
  
  
  • It offers coaches the opportunity to learn from peers
  
  
  • It offers coaches the opportunity to keep up to date with professionals developments.
  
  
  
  Clients can question coaches about their supervision arrangements so that they fell comfortable with how they review their coaching relationships and keep their skills up to date.


• Breadth of tools, techniques, models: Coaches should be able to clearly describe their favoured approaches, but you should watch out for coaches who push particular models and are unable or unwilling to flex their approach to suit a particular individual/organisation. Good coaches will use models, techniques and frameworks from a wide range of theoretical backgrounds, including organisational theory, occupational psychology, psychometrics, learning and counselling.
  The simplest tools/techniques are often the most effective. Coaches should use tools that are ‘fit for purpose’ to encourage reflective learning and change, and they should be able to describe these clearly and concisely during selection.


• Understanding of boundaries and approach to referral: Coaches should not knowingly accept an individual into a coaching programme if they need specialist support beyond the competence of the coach or the resources available.


• Relevant qualifications and training: Coaches should be able to demonstrate that they are competent in the provision of coaching services. One way of providing this is to demonstrate that they possess a relevant qualification. Coaching qualifications should cover relevant psychological theories in enough depth to provide individuals with a necessary grounding for them to operate as a coach.


• Membership of professional bodies: All the main professional bodies demand that members adhere to codes of conduct and ethics with associated complaints procedures.


• Professional indemnity insurance: Before a coach is formally hired, the HR practitioner should ask to see their certificate of insurance.


• Other qualities/personal characteristics: The best coaches are those who give honest, realistic, challenging, feedback, are good listeners and suggest good ideas for action.

Organisations hiring coaches need to check coaches’references and credentials thoroughly as well as assessing both their coaching skills and industry knowledge. One idea is to use a questionnaire or checklist to get coaches to clarify their style and approach to coaching and provide information about their skills, experience and qualifications (including which assessment instruments they are qualified to use).

An interview should be used to establish how well the candidate matches your desired coach profile, and to explore any particular areas on which you would like more information.

• The parties to the contract


• Termination


• Outcomes/deliverables


• Etiquette/expected behaviours


• Timing, frequency, duration and location of coaching sessions


• Confidentiality, feedback and information flow


• Use of external resources


• A schedule of payments


• Additional fees


• How the work will be controlled and monitored – criteria for evaluating the results


• If coaching organisations are being used, the coaches providing the services will be identified in the contract and any subsequent changes will take place only in consultation with the client


• Agreement on the nature of the coach-client relationship (eg roles, responsibilities, boundaries, timeframes)


• Dealing with further requests for business by individuals


• Any variations to the contract being discussed in full and agreed in writing

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